Denver Says Pot OK

Yesterday, the city of Denver, Colorado approved a measure to legalize the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana. This is the first major city in the United States to do so.

I've never discussed marijuana on my blog, but I'm absolutely for the legalization of it. I've felt for decades that this drug is less harmful than alcohol yet users are treated by law enforcement in more harmful ways than alcohol users. Harmful in the fact that marijuana users when caught can be arrested, many times jailed and forever have a blot on their record.

With medical marijuana now legal in a number of states, people have come to realize that the dangers are not so dangerous, and in fact it can help in relief of pain. Now the people of Denver have accepted that even as a recreational drug, marijuana is not in the league of other illegal drugs.

Recently the retired Police Chief of Seattle Norm Stamper has written a book "Breaking Rank" where he argues all drugs should be legalized or decriminalized, that the social problems caused by treating drugs as a criminal problem rather than a medical/social problem has been detrimental to our society.

We also know from recent studies that marijuana is not dangerous to a person's health. It has been found that the THC in marijuana helps counteract any cancer causing chemicals in the smoke. Another recent study suggests that marijuana helps promote the growth of brain cells.

Hopefully what Denver has now done can become the norm throughout the country. Step by step it seems that Americans will eventually approve of the decriminalization and even legalization of marijuana. People who smoke pot certainly do not need to be put in the same league as murderers, sex offenders, bank robbers and corporate crooks. Our jails are filled enough with major criminals, it's time to begin a sensible course as to marijuana users and drug users in general.